Malcolm Jenkins: I won’t react to the draft like Reggie Bush did

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 6, 2013, 6:44 AM EST

Getty Images

Two years ago, when the Saints spent their first-round pick on running back Mark Ingram, Reggie Bush saw the writing on the wall and tweeted, “It’s been fun, New Orleans.” Sure enough, Bush was traded to Miami before training camp.

Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins says Bush created an uncomfortable workplace with the way he reacted to the Ingram pick.

As a result, Jenkins has vowed not to react the same way as Bush did, now that the Saints have used this year’s first-round pick on another safety, Kenny Vaccaro. Jenkins has already tweeted a welcoming message to Vaccaro, and he says he’ll handle himself differently than Bush did in 2011.

“If you kind of look back at history, you see when we drafted Mark Ingram, how Reggie handled it . . . it was kind of the opposite,” Jenkins said.

In fairness to Bush, the situations aren’t exactly the same — Jenkins is likely to remain in New Orleans, while Bush knew he was likely on the way out. But Jenkins is handling the arrival of Vaccaro the right way.

The Saints blew it with the Ingram pick. Even if you think Ingram is a good player and worth a first round pick, he’s not worth it in the system NO runs and they should’ve know better. No RB is worth a first round pick in that system, except maybe Sproles but they already had him…

The situations aren’t remotely the same. Reggie Bush was due to earn $12 million in the last year of his rookie deal. He had to take a substantial pay cut or be traded. I don’t know what Jenkins is due this season but it’s nowhere near that. Besides, I don’t think anyone knows who Vaccaro is going to replace, Jenkins or Roman Harper. I could see Jenkins sliding over to strong safety and replacing Harper. He’s younger, cheaper, and a better athlete than Harper.

Comparing apples to oranges. The saints had a crowded back field with the addition of Ingram and they would of all been splitting time over ONE position. The safety group that the saints have now is not stacked at all and there are TWO positions available (FS and SS). Sounds like Jenkins has been drinkin some Haterade for reggie smashin on Kim k

The Saints blew it with the Ingram pick. Even if you think Ingram is a good player and worth a first round pick, he’s not worth it in the system NO runs and they should’ve know better. No RB is worth a first round pick in that system, except maybe Sproles but they already had him…
———————–
It is even worse than you say. Let’s remember that Ingram cost them TWO first round picks (they also traded their 2012 first round pick to get him). And they compounded it by keeping Ingram and continuing to play him, while trading Ivory who was a more productive player. The only thing that keeps this from being a total catastrophe is that the Ivory pick brought them nose tackle John Jenkins, who might make a huge impact for them in their switch to a 3-4 defense. As for Reggie, he needed to go anyway, as Spoules is a better player for them, and he was never going to be as productive for the Saints as he turned out to be for the Dolphins.

Watermelon1 u took the words right outré my mouth!! And no doubt this is the case ” hey guys I’m not acting like Reggie did I’m doing just the opposite and then pointing it out to the media” what a joke!

Get it right musicman, Ingram cost the Saints only a #2, and the following year’s #1; not TWO #1s; which is retrospect was actually fortunate, because had they not, Goodell would have forfeited that #1 pick as a bounty penalty. They used their own #1 pick in 2011 to draft Cam Jordan as the 24th selection of the first round.

I can’t blame Bush because Ingram looks like a slow, chubby waste of a pick.

However, I will say that the only time that I have heard about Reggie Bush not being highly liked by his teammates in New Orleans has one Alex Marvez has been on the radio. Maybe what Marvez is saying is coming to fruition.

Ross Tucker said he paid attention to the draft for one reason…”Did they draft anyone at my position?”

I can’t say I blame him on this one. A first round pick says even if you have the job and are doing decent that this guy is here to supplant you and there are no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. It IS happening. Creating an uncomfortable workplace? As the movie said, “It happens every spring.”

Can someone tell Malcom, from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, by talking about the subject manner, it creates a reaction? Therefore, he may not have been as divisive as Reggie, but Vaccaro and the organization still know your thoughts.

For his sakes, maybe it will be a Huff and Elam situation in Baltimore. Most think Elam is there to replace Ed Reed. Completely wrong. Huff was the free agent replacement, will Elam will place strong safety in the box. Also, Vaccaro has a lot of flexibility so he can be placed all over that poor defense.

If you think a tweet or two can create an uncomfortable situation in a locker room, wait until a team allows some meat-gazer to prance through their locker room. You’ll SEE uncomfortable, then, when some lineman splatters that freak up against the wall.

Get it right musicman, Ingram cost the Saints only a #2, and the following year’s #1; not TWO #1s; which is retrospect was actually fortunate, because had they not, Goodell would have forfeited that #1 pick as a bounty penalty. They used their own #1 pick in 2011 to draft Cam Jordan as the 24th selection of the first round.
—————————-
I will do more than most posters on this site, and admit that I was wrong about your first point – you are correct that Ingram cost a 2011 #2 (not a #1) and the 2012 #1. I stand by the rest of what I said about it being foolish to draft Ingram at all and sit Ivory (as well as underutilize Pierre Thomas).

I also disagree with you that is was “actually fortunate” that they wasted the 2012 #1 on Ingram. Giving Goodell the 2012 #1 for the bounty non-scandal and still having a #2 would have resulted in a better draft position than wasting the #1 on Ingram, giving Goodell a #2 on the bounty non-scandal, and starting the 2o12 draft in Round 3.

First off, welcome to Who Dat Nation Kenny Vaccaro! Jenkins did the right thing here only because like others have stated he won’t be going anywhere and I don’t think he would want to put his own team mate down! And as for it being a mistake getting rid of Bush I have 2 words for ya!
Darren Sproles ! < Who Reggie Bush wants to be! ; )